Penn State Softball Series Grades vs. Rutgers
Penn State was finally able to regain its footing in Big Ten play with this series sweep against Rutgers.
That sweep helped the Nittany Lions snap a five-game losing skid. After being on the wrong side of two sweeps, Penn State really needed wins to regain its momentum.
Team morale was looking low, bats were not active, pitchers not throwing their best and all of that changed against the Scarlet Knights.
The biggest contributor to the morale was catcher Morgan Farrah who was simply the loudest person at Beard Field and she rallied the troops to be loud for their teammates.
Game one of the doubleheader started off with a 1-0 victory for the blue and white as Emily Maddock hit an RBI single in the sixth inning that would score Lilia Crouthamel.
Penn State’s bats were very active though as they tallied nine hits but could not put together any run-scoring plays.
Lexie Black was left on base four times during that game.
Kylee Lingenfelter pitched probably her best game all season, going seven innings and striking out three batters. The most glaring stat for Lingenfelter though is that she only walked one batter during the game which is usually where she has problems.
Moving on to the second game of the doubleheader, Maddie Gordon hit a three-run home run which would result in the only runs scored during this outing. That was also Gordon’s first home run of the year.
Maddock’s hitting streak did end during that game as she went 0-3 at the plate.
Bailey Parshall was in the circle for Penn State and she has been up and down during Big Ten play but she was on for this one. Parshall went all seven innings striking out five batters and only walking one.
Lastly, the final game of the series took place after a day of rest where there were some higher run totals.
Maggie Finnegan, who was very good at the plate during this series hit a two-run home run. Gordon hit a grand slam which was the first one from a Penn State softball player in four years.
Maddock woke her bat up to hit an RBI double to close out scoring for the Nittany Lions.
In the circle, Lingenfelter and Parshall split the game practically in half with them taking 3.1 and 3.2 innings respectively.
Lingenfelter allowed all three runs that the Scarlet Nights had but still had an impressive outing.
Here’s how the Nittany Lions fared in this series:
Pitching: A+
Having two out of the three games be complete game shutouts is everything you could ask for out of those two pitchers.
Lingenfelter really surprised many with her big performance because up until then she was very inconsistent and struggled to locate.
Batting: B+
Probably a bit harsh not giving the hitters an A but they stranded so many runners on the base paths and could not string together hits at times.
Gordon having a two-home run weekend is the big grade booster here where she played herself into that lineup.
Fielding: A+
The team was as they usually are which is very reliable in the field. They did not make any errors and they kept the ball safe at all times.
Morale: A++
It may not be a real grade, but here it is anyway.
It showed how much team morale and the dugout making noise can truly change the tide of the game.
Since opening up Big Ten play, the Nittany Lions have been quiet. This weekend they were the rowdier team and it paid dividends.
Joey David is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email jtd5508@psu.edu.
